Running and Family: Vacation Time

Vacation, all I ever wanted….

Do you remember that song by the Go-Go’s, circa 1982 or so? And yes I am dating myself. That song goes through my head whenever I am about to embark on the epic suburban vacation – the long drive in the car vacation.

I just got back from a great week in North Carolina, Bald Head Island to be exact. Yes, the same place that Jon and Kate Plus Eight, sans Jon spent two weeks at last year. However, we’ve been going there for several years, so I consider myself a local rather then an interloper. Plus, I don’t have the need for body guards.

Anyway, vacations and running are always an interesting mix, especially when the vacation involves spouse, child and another family. Now don’t get me wrong, I love where we go. Love it – it’s relaxing, peaceful and stress free. The most stressful thing is making sure the golf cart was charged overnight so you don’t get stuck in the “parking lot” of the market during the morning milk run.

Back to the running part. This is an island – so you can circumnavigate it for a nice 7.5 mile run. Add on some of the “cross streets” and you can easily get a good 12-mile run in. That’s of course if you can drag yourself away from the pancakes, french toast or eggs that my husband loves to make for breakfast (only on vacation – don’t worry he doesn’t cook like that on a weekday!). It’s also a great thing if you can drag yourself out of bed before 7:30 am every morning – this is of course after a luxurious 8 to 9 hours of sleep.

Oh right, running. Well, there’s always the possibility of a head wind, we are of course on the southern most island of the barrier islands of North Carolina, where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic. Swirling tides and winds are the norm here. And then there’s the humidity. It’s only April, so there’s no way one is acclimated to the humidity. But then the sun comes out and burns off that morning haze and the humidity seems to lift (how come it never does that around here?)

So did I run you ask? Yes I did and I didn’t even complain about it! I also managed to get a few good rides in (for that silly triathlon that I am training for). I also managed to not eat too much of my husband’s banana pancakes and french toast, but I did manage to scrape some skin off my shins and knees boogie boarding (does that count as cross training?)

Vacations and running can be a good thing, you just have to find that balance that you have at home, but in my case the balance isn’t about finding the time to run, it’s about not wasting the time that you do have to run. A completely unfamiliar dilemma 51 other weeks of the year.

Speaking of songs – David K. – can you get something running related going to the tune of Vacation? - The Gabster